A couple of weeks ago, my daughter Oda and I collaborated on creating a list of viking age names for …
A couple of weeks ago, my daughter Oda and I collaborated on creating a list of viking age names for girls. Not wanting to be outdone, my son Brage has been on me since then for us to create a list of male viking names.
Being named Brage, and having friends with names like Ask, Iver and Haakon, he felt he could rattle off a long list from the top of his head. However, as we sat down to create this list, we found we did have to dig through Norse mythology, turning to old sagas and the Eddas’ to find more inspiration.
When you start sorting through old viking names for boys, you realize not all are fit for use today. Creating this list however, we decided to include both names we would recommend using, and some that are just funny or fascinating. To be fair, some of these male viking names were adopted later in life, or were nicknames that stuck. But hey, if you have a boy with especially nice hair, or a grim attitude, maybe Fairhair or Bloodax fits.
Meaning of old male viking names
A fascinating part of a name is the inherent meaning associated with that name. Both female and male viking names usually have a quite clear, or sometimes more unclear/poetic meaning attached to them. This is a lot like reading poems from the Poetic Edda or the ancient sagas. The meaning you associate with the given few words on a line often depends on the context. Moreover, in the end, the translator will often breathe more life and poesy into it than what might seem apparent.
When providing the translation of these male viking names, I have tried to include both how the name is structured, and the inherent deeper meaning. We both hope you will find inspiration here for a name for your son. Should you choose one of these names we would love to hear from you if you do!
Top Twelve Male Viking Names (in our opinion)
Having to pick just twelve names turned out to be a tough process for my son Brage and I. The final list is below, but some great runner-ups were: Agnar (Respected warrior), Hrafen (Raven) and Ulf (Wolf). Any name on this list though should make for a great name or maybe as a cool middle name. If you end up using one of these for your child we would love to hear about it in the comments below!
Top Twelve List
Ask
The name of the first man, created by the gods Odin, Vili and Ve. Old Norse Áskr, meaning ash, like the ash tree Yggdrasil.
“One” – From Old Norse einu/einn, meaning one. Short form of names beginning with Ein*
Erik
“Sole ruler” (All powerful ruler) – From Eirikr/Eirekr, Old Norse Ei- (meaning sole, or alone) and *rikr (meaning ruler)
Haakon
“High Family” (Noble family) – From Old Norse Hákon, or Hákun, where há means high (or horse…) and kon/kun is family, or son.
Haldor
“Thors’ Hall” – From Old Norse Hall-þórr, where hall (or hallr), can mean hall, like a great hall, or a large flat rock, and þórr is the god Thor.
Iver
“Archerer” – From Old Norse Ifár, where if/iv means yewtree (which was a type of wood favored for a bow and arrow) and -ar means warrior.
Sigurd
“Victorious Guardian” – From the Old Norse Sig-urðr, where sig means victory and -urðr is a guardian. Also the name of the hero Sigurd the Dragon Slayer, killer of the dragon Fafnir.
Sindri
“Sparkling” – From the Old Norse Sindra, literally to sparkle, or something that is sparkling.
Thor
The god Thor, from the Old Norse Þórr/Thórr, also means thunder.
Trym
“The Noisy One” From the Old Norse Þrymr/Thrymr, name of a jötun king who steals Thor’s hammer in the Thrymskvitha.
Varg
“Wolf” or “Outlaw” – From Old Norse Vargr, translating as wolf, but having a deeper meaning as someone acting like, hunted down like a wolf.
Male Viking Names
This is our list of male Viking names that we hope will give you some inspiration and ideas. Please come back as I will be adding to the meanings of them for some time to come.
Starting With A
Agnar
“Respected Warrior” – From Old Norse *egg (swords edge or spear point) or agi (Old Norse respect) + *ar ending (Old Norse harjar, meaning warrior or battle).
Åge
Alda
Alf
‘Elf’ – From Old Norse Alfr, meaning elf, could be either a ljosalfr (Light elf) or a svartálfr (Dark elf), but as a name, it would be associated with the ljosalfr.
Amund
Arn
“Eagle” – From Old Norse Árn, meaning eagle. As it pops up here and there it seems like it might have been quite popular.
Arne
Variant of Arn, see above
Arnstein
Arnulf
“Eagle-wolf” – Based on a combination of the words Arn-, meaning Eagle, and -ulf, meaning wolf.
Arvid
Asbjørn
Asgaut
Asgeir
‘The gods spear’ – From Old Norse Ás-geirr, first part meaning gods, and the second part meaning spear. More poetically, maybe the spears Asgeir threw would be guided by the gods.
Asger
‘The gods spear’ – Variant of Asgeir.
Aslak
Atle
Audun
Starting With B
Balder
Prince” – Old Norse Baldr, or Baldur meaning prince. Also the Aesir god of light, beauty and happiness.
Bård
Birger
Helpful – based on Old Norse Birgir meaning helper, or someone who is helpful.
Bjarke
Bear” – variant of Bjørn, Bodvar Bjarke (Warrior-bear) is found in the heroic poem Bjarkamál, from 1000 AD.
Bjarne
Bear” – variant of Bjørn
Bjarni
Bear” – variant of Bjørn
Bjoern
Bear” – variant of Bjørn
Bjørn
Bear” – Old Norse Biǫrn, meaning bear (or quite literally the brown animal).
Bjørnar
Warrior-bear” – From Old Norse Biǫrn (bear) and *ar ending from harjaR (warrior).
Bodin
Bodvar
Warrior” – Bodvar Bjarke (Warrior-bear) is found in the heroic poem Bjarkamál, from 1000 AD.
Børge
Børre
Bragi
The Aesir god of poetry, from Old Norse bragr, meaning poet, or the first (best of something)
Brede
Battle axe
Brynjulf
Starting With D
Dag
Day” – From Old Norse Dágr, meanig day, and being the Aesir god and personification of day, Dágr.
Dagfinn
Starting With E
Ebbe
Egil
Egir
Einar
One-warrior” – From the Old Norse Eino (one) and *ar ending from harjaR (warrior)
Eirik
Eivind
Endre
Erlend
Erling
Espen
Even
Starting With F
Finn
Floki
Freyr
Lord” – Old Norse meaning ruler, master or lord. The Vanir god of fertility, peace and abundance/prosperity.
Fritjof
Frode
Starting With G
Garald
Gaute
“Man from Gautaland”. Based on the Old Norse gautr, meaning a man from the Gautaland/Götaland, a part of Sweden. However, also based on one of Odin’s many names or kennings, Gauti, as he was the god of the gauti.
Geir
“Spear”, from the Old Norse word geirr, meaning spear.
Gisli
Gorm
“God-fearing”, or possibly “He who honors the gods”. Derived from Old Norse Gouthrum, or possibly, derived from Guð-thorm (Protected by the gods).
Grim
Gudbrand
Gudmund
Gunnar
“Warrior”, based on the combination of the Old Norse gunnr, meaning battle or war, and the -ar endingcommon to many names, meaning warrior. Quite common in the Viking Age, as attestedd to by many runic inscriptions.
Gustav
Starting With H
Hakan
Hakon
Highborn – Based on the Old Norse Hákon, were há likely means high, and -kon, comes from -kyn. However, -kon could also come from -konr, meaning son. So the names’ meaning is somewhere between a highborn, from a noble family or a high/first son.
Halfdan
Hallgeir
Halstein
Halvar
Hans
Harald
Havard
Håvard
Helge
Helgi
Helje
Herbjørn
Herleif
Hermod
Hjalmar
Holger
Hrafen
“Raven” – From the Old Norse Hrafn/Hrafni, meaning raven. Closely associated with Odin, who was believed to sometimes appear in the form of a raven. His two ravens, Hugin and Munin, were his “eyes and ears” in the nine realms.
See Ing above. A female version is Inga, however, Inge is also used as a female name in parts of Europe.
Ingolf
Derived from the Old Norse name IngulfR, where Ing (Freyr/leader) is combined with ulfr, meaning wolf. Wolves were regarded as highly intelligent and ferocious in the Viking Age. Also, Odin had two that were always by his side, Geri and Freki.
Ingvar
“Warrior of Ing”, again Ing is from Yngve/Ing, other names for Freyr, combined with -var, from the Old Norse -arr, meaning warrior.
Ivar
“Archerer” – From Old Norse Ifár, where if/iv means yewtree (which was a type of wood favored for a bow and arrow) and -ar means warrior.
Starting With J
Jarl
Jarle
Jerk
Jomar
Starting With K
Kåre
Old Norse, means “curly haired” or “curved hair”
Ketil
Kjeld
Kjetil
Knud
Variant of Knut, from Old Norse knútr, meaning knot
Knut
Knot” – Derived from Old Norse knútr, meaning knot
“Snake”, based on the Old Norse Ormr, meaning snake. Sometimes the Midgard serpent, Jörmungand was refered to as simply Ormr.
Osman
Øystein
Øyvind
Starting With R
Ragnar
A combination of the Old Norse ‘regin’, meaning power, ruler or decision (possibly having the power to make decisions), and -arr, meaning warrior. Legendary Danish ruler or chieftain (if we believe the sagas) Ragnar Lothbrok bore the name.
Rangvald
Ravn
Modern variant of Hrafn, Old Norse meaning raven.
Reidar
“Defender of the home” (maybe) from Old Norse Hreiðarr, where the hreiðr likely means home, and the -arr/-ar ending means warrior.A ‘home warrior’ seems sort of odd though so the meaning might have be slightly different way back when.
Roar
“Famous warrior”, derived from Old Norse Róarr (or Hróarr), where (H)ró likely means famous, and -arr means warrior.
Rune
“Secret”, from the Old Norse rún, meaning secret. Also the name of the runes, so a name steeped in magic and deeper meaning.
Starting With S
Sigmund
Sindre
Norwegian variant of Sindri, from the Old Norse sindra, to sparkle, or sparkling.
Sondre
“From the south” or “Swimmer” (maybe), from the Old Norse Sundri, meaning south, or swimming, but this is less certain.
Stein
From the Old Norse Stæinn, meaning stone. Going a bit deeper, I believe it was understood as brave or strong. The god Thor was said to have a heart like a stone, that did not flutter when facing danger.
Steinar
“Brave/Strong warrior”, combination of ‘Stein’ (see above) and -arr, meaning warrior. A more modern translation could be a ‘stone cold warrior’.
Sten
Variant of Stein, common to Denmark and Sweden.
Stian
Stig
‘Wanderer’ – From the Old Norse Stígr, a name derived from stiga, meaning o walk or wander.
Sture
Sturla
Sune
“Son”, More common in Denmark and Sweden as a boys name, in use in the Viking Age.
Sven
Svend
Sverke
“Black spear”, from Old Norse Sverkir, combination of svart (black) and -geirr, meaning spear, fitting a warrior soul.
Sverre
Starting With T
Thorsten
‘Thor’s stone’ – From the Old Norse Þor-steinn, first part meaning Thor (the god) and steinn meaning stone. Stone could be understood as something positive, as a heart of stone actually meant brave, not like today.
Thorvald
Tjalve
From Old Norse Þjalfi, name of the boy who is Thor’s servant and brother of the girl Roskva. He goes with Thor on several adventures.
Toke
Old Norse Tóki, short form of two-part names where Thor was the first, and something starting with -k followed, like Torkel. Pronounced Tho-kee, not like ‘having a toke’.
Torben
Torbjørn
Torkel
“Thor- (or Thunder) Helmet” – combination of the name for Thor (which could also mean thunder) and -kjell, meaning helmet.
‘Wolf’ – From the Old Norse name Úlfr, derived from the word ulfr, meaning wolf.
Ullr
From the name of Ullr, the Aesir god of hunting and skiing (sport).
Starting With V
Vebjørn
‘Battle bear’ – From the Old Norse name Vébjǫrn, where vé is likely from vér, meaning battle, and bjǫrn, meaning bear.
Vetle
“Bear-cub” – Derived from the Old Norse Vetrliðr, (rough translation, winter is getting on in age), at the end of winter, when bear cubs were born.
Vidar
“Warrior from the Forest” Name of the Aesir god Vidár, son of Odin and his avenger at Ragnarök. From the Old Norse víðr (forest) and -ar (warrior).
Vilhelm
“Determined protector” – Derived from the Old Norse Vilhjalmr. Compound of Vil, meaning will, or wish, and hjalmr, meaning helmet, or protection.
Starting With Y
Yngvar
‘Ing’s warrior’ – From the Old Norse Yngvarr, where Yngv, is derived form Ing, another name for the god Freyr, and -arr, meaning warrior. Could also be seen as meaning, a warrior dedicated to Freyr.
Norse mythology enthusiast, Norwegian and living in Oslo next to a series of old Viking age burial mounds.I am also able to navigate and understand quite a lot of the old Norse texts and I often lean on original texts when researching an article. Through this blog I hope more people, young and old will get to know Norse mythology and the world of the Vikings a bit better.
